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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Portage des Sioux

Portage des Sioux has survived several severe inundations over its history, the last occurring back in the great flood of 1993.But as can be seen, there are some fantastic buildings in this town, such as the Catholic church above and its school building below.The effects of the flood are still be worked out, as can be seen in this house. Read the article at the Post-Dispatch about its travails.Here is the barn in the back, which needs a lot of work if it is to be functional again. However, it certainly has a certain patina to it that I enjoy.Wow, what a stunning Second Empire micro-mansion across the street. It has been carefully restored and shows the architectural heritage of the town.The coolest thing, in my opinion, is that there are still the vestiges of French colonial development in the town, most obviously expressed in the road on the edge of town called "Common Field Street," denoting where the long, thin strips of French colonial agricultural land usage began.This is a photograph of an historic field, still a long strip of land perhaps two hundred years after originally surveyed by French explorers. Look at the aerial view here; the field right next to the road into town (Route J) is the original French land platte--long and narrow.

Chris Naffziger

Patina

Pronunciation:

\pə-ˈtē-nə, ˈpa-tə-nə\

1 a: a usually green film formed naturally on copper and bronze by long exposure or artificially (as by acids) and often valued aesthetically for its colorb: a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use; 2: an appearance or aura that is derived from association, habit, or established character; 3: a superficial covering or exterior